Runner-mender needle



Nov. 20, 1928.

1 1,692,583 J. E. SHEPPERACK RUNNER MENDER NEEDLE Filed Aug. /1928INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TQSEPH E. SHEPPERACK, OF MONT CLARE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB OFONE-FOURTH '10 JOHN DI CIO AND ONE-FOURTH TO HARRY G. SIMONS, BOTH OF NORRISTOWN,

PENNSYLVANIA.

RUNNEB-IENDER NEEDLE.

Application med August a, 1928. Serial no. 297,35.

Runner'mender needles known and used heretofore have consisted of ashank having a hook at the end thereof, and a latch coactin with saidhook, said shank being secure to a suitable handle. In theseconstructions the latch coacting with the hook was not onlyrelativelylarge, but it also was completely unprotected and thereforeapt to engage or straddle and often cut or damage two or more threads inadvance of the thread next adjacent the loose loop picked by or carriedon the hook, which rendered the mending of runs, by the rekmtting of theslipped or loose loop with the 1 appropriate cross threads, rathertedious and exacting, and it often resulted in added positive damage tothe stocking being mended. Another disadvantage of prior and presentconventional runner mender needles resides in the fact that the shankterminates in a rounded hook which can not be easily introduced into thesmall loops or between the threads of delicately knit fabrics such ashosiery and the like, and which therefore called for very accurateeyesight, steady hands, and a high degree of proficiency, all of whichfeatures are not universally present. My present-invention relates to anew and useful runner mender needle which obviates the foregoingdisadvantageous features and is particularly adapted for manualoperation in mending runs in stockings and similarly knitted fabrics.

To obviate these disadvantagesl have devised a novel runner'menderneedle having a front terminal guide sooconstructed as to facilitate theinsertion of the hook into the loops andbetween the threads with whichit is desired to knit the loops. I further provide my novel runnermender needle with a front guard portion to prevent the accidental engaement of the latch cooperating with said ook with threads of the fabricother than the thread with which the loop carried on the hook is to beknitted.

To the above ends,'my invention consists of a novel runner mender needlecomprising a handle, a shank secured thereto, said shank beingbifurcated to form an upper arm and a lower arm, a pointed guide on theouter end of said upper arm,'an enlarged guard portion adjacent saidguide, a hook and latch on the outer end of said lower arm, the latterbeing shorter than said upper arm, and the length of said needle beingless than the length of said guard.

' My invention further consists of various other novel features ofconstruction and advantage, all as hereinafter enumerated and described.

Fig. 1, represents, on an enlarged scale, a side elevation of a runnermender needle embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, represents a perspective view of the same, illustrating themanner of use and operation. 5

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in theaccompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred byme, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities ashereinshown and described.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicatelike parts, 1 designates a runner mender needle embodying my invention,comprising the handle 2, to which is secured the shank 3 in any suitablemanner. The shank 3 is bifurcated to form the upper and lower arms 4 and5 which arepreferably made of spring metal and which form part of myinvention.

The u per arm 4 is convexed'or curved as at 6 and t en concaved,'oroppositely curved as at 7 to converge towards'the convexed or curvedportion 8 of the lower arm 5 which is also slightly concaved as at 9.The upper arm 4 is provided with the front, enlarged guard portion 10which terminates in the pointed front guide 11, while the lower arm 5isprovided with the terminal hook 12 which has the slot 13 within whichispivoted the latch 14 by pivot pin 15. The latch 14 coacts with thehook12, in the usual manner, itbeing understood that the lower arm 5 isshorter than the upper arm 4 so that the point 11 extends beyond thehook 12. Similarly, the latch- 14 is preferably shorter than the widthof the lguard portion 10, so that in its movement a out its pivot 15 theouter end of the latch 14 is always within the outer edge 25'of theguard ortion 10.

18 designates a stocking abric in which a runner has been formed by theslipping or disengagement of the loop 19 from proper engagement with thecross threads 21, 22, 23, and 24. To knit or mend the run, it isnecessary to pick the thread 21 and pass it through the loop 19, andthen to pass the thread 22 through the loop thus formed to form anotherloop through which the thread 23 is assed, and so on until all the loosethreads have been knit, the last loo ,thus formed being then sewed tothe fabric to prevent further slipping or disengagement.

If a conventional runner mender needle is employed, which is notprovided with the ide 11 and guard of m invention, the atch 14willstraddle and epress not only the thread 21 which is to be picked up bythe hook 12, but will also, in its movement about its pivot, engage theadjacent threads 22 and 23. When my novel runner mender needle isemployed, the latch14 is prevented from any undesirable, accidentalengagement with the cross threads 23 and 22 by the provisionof the guardportion 10, the outer edge 4 of which extends be 0nd the outer end ofthe latch 14, as will e understood from Fig. 2, wherein the thread 21 isbeing picked up by the hook and wherein the next adjacent thread 22 isdeflected by the surface 25 of the guard 10 into a position out ofreachof the etch 14.

The pointed terminal guide 11 of the upper arm 4 serves to separateclosel entang threads and to lead or direct the 00k 12 into with theguide 11 serving to the 19 and between the successive adjacent threads21 to 24. Thus, when it is desired to pick the loop 19, the book 12 isinserted through the eye or opening of'the loop s ace the adjacentthread 21 away from said hook. Similarly,'the bottom edge 26 of theguide 10 serves to guide the thread21 onto the hook 12 when the guide 11is inserted between the threads 21 and 22.

. The operation is as follows:

The hook 12, guided by the pointed guide 11, is inserted into the fabricand through the eye of'the loop 19. This moves the latch 14 from theclosed position shown at 28 to the open position shown at 29 in Fig. 1,and the loop 1.9 now sli over the latch 14 and rests on the concaveportion 9 of the arm 5, as will be understood from Fig. 2. On its upwqdstroke the hook 12 enga s the thread 21 which is next adjacent the cop19 and as the needle is drawn upwardl the loop 19 slides down over theconvexe portion 8 of the arm 5.and closes the latch 14 over the thread21 in the hook 12. The passing of the thread 21 through the loop 19forms a new loop which is now transferred to the concaved portion 9 ofthe arm 5 by a downward stroke of the needle to open the latch in themanner heretofore set forth, whereupon the next adjaoent thread 22 isengaged by the hook 12 and drawn upwardly throu h the loop formed by thethread 21 until t e entire run has been mended.

. From the foregoing description of the 0 eration or use of my novelmender, it will evident that the provision of the terminal pointed guide11 greatly facilitates the insertion of the hook 12 into the loop 19 orbetween the threads 21 and 22 which often lie close together, thusgreatly expediting the operation and relieving the severe eyestrainheretofore attending the mending operation. The guide edge or surface 25of the uard portion 10 serves to-place the next ad acent thread 22 outof reach of the latch 14, while the thread 21 is being engagedor pickedu by the hook 12. Thus, by singling out with the guide 11 the particularthread to be picked up, it will be impossible for the latch 14 to comein contact with, or for the hook 12 to pick up any thread other than theone thread singled out by the guide 11. The concaved portion 9 of thearm 5 forms a convenient rest for the loop 19 while the next adjacentthread 21 is being picked up b hook 12.

In order to insure constant, per ect alignment of the latch 14 withrespect to the hook 12, the latch is secured in the slot 13, as will beunderstood from F 2. It will thus be seen fhat I have devised a.

novel runner mender needle, by the use of which the heretofore excessivestrain on the eyes is eatly relieved, and which can be operate withoutany great degree of skill or proficiency, the operation of mending arunner being reduced by the use of my novel mender to a series of stabsor upward and downward strokes, it being merely necessary to see thatthe guide 11 is inserted between the proper two adjacent threads, theide surfaces 25 and 26 (of the arm 4) ans the concaved portion 9 and theconvex portion 8 (of the arm 5) bein suflicient to guide the respectivethreads an loops into their proper relationships, as will be clearlunderstood from the description above set orth.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A runner mender for repairing a run in a knitted fabric, comprising arear arm terminating in a hook adapted to be inserted through a looseloop in said run and having a pivotal latch coacting therewith, and afront arm having a guard for said latch to prevent the latter fromengaging the cross threads in said run, said front arm extending beyondsaid hook to guide the latter between said cross threads.

2. A runner member for repairing a run in a knitted fabric, com risinan'arm termimating. in a hook adapter? to be inserted through a looseloop on said run and having .a pivotal latch coacting with said hook,and

a second arm of greater length having a guard for said latch to preventthe latter from engaging the cross threads of said run, and a terminalointed guide positioned in advance of said 00k to guide the latterbetween said cross threads.

3. In a device of the character stated for mending a run in a knittedfabric, a shank bifurcated to form an upper and a lower arm, a hookformed at the end of said lower arm and adapted to be inserted through aloose 100 in said run, a latch coacting with said h dk, a guide memberformedat the end of said upper arm and extending beyond said hook toguide the latter between the cross threads of said run and a guardformed at the base of said guide and registering with said latch toprevent thelatter from engaging said cross threads.

4. In a device of the character stated for repairing a run in a knittedfabric, a shank formed into upper and lower elongated arms, said armsdivergingxat their central portion and converging at t eir ends, a hookformed on the outer end of the lower arm adapted to be inserted througha loose loop in said run,

a latch coactin with said hook, an upwardly pointed guide orme'd on theouter end of the upper arm and extending beyond said hook to guide thelatter between the cross threads of said run, and a guard formed at thebase of said ide and registering with said latch and hocii to preventsaid latch. from engaging said cross threads.

5. In a device of the character stated for repairing a run in a knittedfabric, a shank bifurcated to form upper and lower arms, said armsdiverging at their central portions and converging at their ends, a hookformed at the end of the lower arm and adapted to be inserted through aloose loop in said run, there being a slot in said lower arm, a latchpivoted in said slot and coact-ing with said 001;, a curved upperguiding edge for said. loop formed in the lower arm at the pivotal pointof said latch, acurved pointed terminal guide farmed at the outer end ofsaid upper arm forguiding said hook between the cross threads of saidrun, and a convex guard portion formed at the base of said terminalguide and rggistering with said hook and latch to prevent the latterfrom engaging said cross threads.

JOSEPH E. SHEPPERACK.

